1. Field of the Invention
2. Technical Field
The invention relates to the shell of a pushing handle for a trolley.
A multiplicity of shopping trolleys are in use in which the pushing handle is a tube which has curved regions and is fixedly connected to the chassis.
A pushing handle is provided with the shell during the production of the trolley after the pushing handle has been fixedly connected to the chassis. It is then no longer possible to slip the shell along the axis of the pushing handle.
The known shells are substantially cylindrical plastic parts which have a slot. Fitting is effected by the shell being positioned parallel to the pushing handle and pressed over the pushing handle with a force which is directed transversely to the axis of the pushing handle, with at the same time the slot of the shells being expanded.
On account of the elasticity of the material, the slot then closes again, and the shell therefore snaps over the pushing handle.
As an anti-rotation locking means, the shell has pins which are integrally formed on the inside thereof and correspond with holes in the pushing handle.
A disadvantage with the known shells is the fact that they have to be made entirely of an elastic material in order to be able to snap over the pushing handle. Due to this requirement for elasticity, the choice of materials is adversely restricted.
In an adverse manner, the known elastic materials which are used for the known shells have haptics which are often felt to be “sticky”.
A further disadvantage of the elastic shells can be seen in the fact that, during normal use, high leverages must not occur between shell and pushing handle, since otherwise the elastic shell is pulled off the pushing handle again. This makes it virtually impossible for the shell to have a shape differing from the shape of the pushing handle or for additional elements, for example an advertising surface, to be integrated into the shell.
The elastic materials have the property that they are a very good insulator. As a result, the trolley, in an adverse manner, is not “grounded” via the pushing person and the electrostatic charge, which always takes place, increases until a voltage is reached which leads to a sparkover function when touching metal parts of the trolley.